AND, TOWARDS HAPPY ALLEYS

Inspired by Iranian cinema and the poetry of Forough Farrokhzad, a young female director from India journeys to Tehran to witness how resistance becomes a daily act of survival in Iranian society. Despite stringent censorship of the Islamic Regime the director collects a series of eloquent and candid interviews with filmmaker Jafar Panahi, activists and everyday women. Over six years, these conversations with the camera expertly capture the simmering anxieties, fears, hopes and dreams of a nation on the cusp of revolution. “In November 2022, a historic struggle for liberation has been shaking Iran to its very foundations for over 70 days [...] a struggle by Iranian women. Over the last six years, the camera witnessed the pent-up anxieties, fears, hopes, and dreams of a society on the verge of a revolution.” This is the card that opens a passionate declaration of love for the cinema and poetry of Iran, which also offers a frank view of the precarious situation for critics of the regime and shows the uncompromising daily struggle of Iranian women against their oppression.